Canyons Village Management Association addresses employee housing

While Summit County's housing crisis continues to monopolize community conversations, one stakeholder is reportedly on track to provide housing for nearly 500 employees.

The Canyons Village Management Association, formerly known as the RVMA, will soon be introducing plans for the first phase of onsite workforce housing for Vail Resorts employees, according to executive director Brian Madacsi. The housing component would fulfill parts of the requirements under the original approval of the Specially Planned Area for Canyons from 1999.

The first phase is required to be finished when 33 percent of the density in the Canyons Village is developed. Madacsi said that threshold won't likely be reached until around 2020, adding the resort recently reached the 25 percent buildout mark.

The Canyons Village Management Association, or CVMA is required to release updated information about the workforce housing need when that threshold is hit. The CVMA will present the Workforce Housing Needs Analysis to the Summit County Council on Wednesday.

“The most important part of the discussion will be: where are you going to put this housing, what type and when are you going to build it?”

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The updated analysis estimates that approximately 507 employees will need housing when the Canyons Village is 100 percent built out, according to the current master plan's approved density. However, TCFC Finance Co., the development company that owns the land on which Vail Resorts operates its ski area, and Replay Resorts are currently reconfiguring the master plan to reduce the overall density.

"Our goal is to move this project forward as quickly as we can and to make this an expedited process. There is no reason to wait," Madacsi said. "The CVMA is committed to provide 50 percent of workforce housing onsite, however, we are working to significantly exceed that number.

"In the upcoming week we will release a formal Request for Proposals," he said. "The responses from potential developers and feedback from the county will continue to shape the workforce housing project."

According to Madacsi, developers have already contacted the CVMA showing interest in the project. He added: "we are excited to be at a point where we can move this forward over the next three to four years.

"One of the potential parcels we are looking at has excellent proximity to amenities and with traffic being a concern for all, that is something we are trying to consider," he said. "This will come down to what we can do, when and where."

Pat Putt, Summit County community development director, said Wednesday's conversation will be the first time the Canyons Village employee housing issue has been addressed in a "really, really long time."

"The most important part of the discussion will be: where are you going to put this housing, what type and when are you going to build it?" Putt said. "They have a couple of ideas and a couple of strategies to maybe be able to build more housing in the short term."

The final housing plan will have to go through the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission for a recommendation. Summit County Manager Tom Fisher will have final authority over the plan.

"It's important to emphasize when we speak of the Canyons and housing it is targeting employees of the resort, which is different than a community-wide housing obligation," Putt said. "It's not Vail who is doing this, they are just one member of the CVMA."